Living with the In-Laws
I needed to find my wife’s great-grandparents who I had good reason to think were in the 1860 census of Washington Co., Maryland. I went through the census records several times using the family name–without success. Then I tried looking for her great-grandfather using his given name. I found the family living with his father-in-law under their last name. I was able to confirm the find since I had the names and ages of their children at that time. This also confirmed the family name of her great-grandmother. I had previously found a marriage record but did not know if it was for the correct couple. Search using given names if all else fails!
 
Bill Shook

Nearest Large City
Fifty-plus years ago, when my grandmother was still living, she always told us she emigrated from “Belfast, County Down,” Ireland.
I had no luck finding records until a distant cousin miraculously produced a birth certificate handed down by her mother. Although Belfast was the nearest big city, she actually came from a small village in another county.

Just like most of us will say we are from the nearest big city when describing where we live to people across the country or abroad, she obviously was doing the same. If a city, or county, or even state isn’t producing the records you need maybe you should look to areas that would consider the nearest city “home”–even if it really wasn’t.

Janell
Seattle, Washington (no, actually Redmond, Washington to be precise)

Back Up Data on a Flash Drive
Buy an extra thumb/jump/flash drive to keep all your genealogical correspondence, research logs, records, etc., on. Keep that drive in a fire proof safe or safety deposit box in case of fire. It takes up less room and is the most updated way to store your valuable documents, including a copy of your will. Be sure to update it on a regular basis.
 
R. Angela Zecca-Vause
Boise, Idaho

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